Philip Y. Kao PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

the handrail, I took some cleansing wipes from a package and wiped her bottom and
front. Immediately following this, I pulled up her briefs and pants, and made sure her
shirt was straight, and eased her back into the wheelchair. Then, I wheeled her out of
the bathroom, shut off the lights, and looked for her watch and glasses. I slid on her
wristwatch, but let her put on her glasses. Only then, did I comb her hair and tie her
shoes. Her foot pedals were never far away, and I put these on and wheeled her to the
dining room, leaving her in the hands of the hospitality staff for breakfast, while I
assisted the nine other residents.
Eve did not have any family relatives in the US, but she did have someone who treated
her like her own mother. Patsy, whose own mother was in another Memory Care
neighbourhood down the hall, used to live in the house next door to Eve before she
moved to Tacoma Pastures. Patsy knew that she had no family relatives to look after
her. Because of this, Patsy started looking after Eve and was granted power of attorney
for her. I learned from Patsy that Eve was estranged from her family in Germany, but
Pasty did not know any of the details. Sometime had passed, and it was in late winter
when Eve began going to the hospital more regularly. She had developed a cough and
was not eating very much. One resident who did seem to miss her was Kent. This
resident lived across the hall from Eve. Kent, who was over ninety years old, grew up in
a rugged area of the country. His father was a copper miner. Before his retirement, Kent
was a well-known professor of communications, specialising in broadcasting. He had
three children, two sons who were also academics and a daughter who never married
and never held a fulltime job. Kent took a liking to Eve, and would always help her in the
dining room. Even though Eve never said anything to him directly, Kent would give her
his dessert and would often leave his walker to help her. This annoyed the caregivers,
because they were afraid he would fall. The caregivers working in Kent’s section
thought he was mean and aggressive. They learned that trying to get him out of bed
would usher in a scolding. Kent was not shy and would often yell at the caregivers,
especially male caregivers. In fact, Jacob one of the physical therapists had to quit trying
to get Kent down to the gym, because Kent refused violently. On one occasion, I saw
Kent lift his lightweight walker and use it as a weapon, trying to ward off Jacob from
approaching any closer. After Eve passed away in the hospital, Kent decided that it was
his time as well.
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